Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 2 1 68 JERSEY SHORE PROFILE F rom well before colonial times through present day, vessels of all kinds have been sailing along the Jersey Coast. Shifting sandbars and unpredictable weather have created havoc for these mariners— who often end up in danger of losing their boats—as well as their passengers, crew, and cargo. "Semper Paratus – The United States Coast Guard at the Jersey Shore by Jill Ocone continued on page 70 Left: Crews from Station Manasquan Inlet conduct training with helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City to sharpen their skills in conducting medivacs. Opposite page: Station Manasquan Inlet's 47-foot motor lifeboat can handle heavy weather and tow larger vessels such as trawlers and clamming boats. Dylon O'Donnell Standing by to answer the call for help is the United States Coast Guard (USCG), America's earliest maritime protector and one of the oldest federal government orga- nizations that has served in every conflict while protecting the country since its earli- est inception. Origins of the United States Coast Guard On August 7, 1789, the U.S. Lighthouse Service, one of the precursors to the USCG, was established under the control of the Treasury Department. The following year, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, as authorized by President George Washington, created a maritime service known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service with ten vessels to enforce customs laws. Lighthouse keepers would help people and vessels near their stations, and the Cutter Service assisted mariners in distress offshore. Despite both services' best efforts, vessels that had run aground during strong nor'easters were sometimes reduced to pieces in a matter of hours, and many vic- tims drowned each year due to exposure. In August of 1848, because of the grow- ing number of maritime incidents each

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